Press Room
New Nordic Energy sales executive shares view from new digs
May 10, 2010
Nordic Energy hired a new account executive last month --and while that in and of itself is hardly newsworthy, the new hire shared with us some useful insights on the benefits of working for a small marketer and the opportunities that exist in Illinois.
"What I have seen is a smaller company can be very approachable," Andi Cashmore told us, and "they don't seem to mind having an open door policy and hearing ideas from wherever they may come."
She previously worked for a much larger firm and handled only natural gas and now she deals with gas and power in Illinois.
"I recently went to the state capital and lobbied for a bill. I've never done anything like that before," she told us of her first month and how she sees the retail energy world a bit differently now. "I've done more in my first month that I never thought I would do," she said, referring to "sitting during session and talking with representatives. You can't trade those opportunities for anything."
New experiences aside, Cashmore is looking at some work ahead. "ComEd is going to release another segment of their customers, their 100-400 kw customers," said Cashmore of the ever changing Illinois market.
"They are releasing them from their supply pool and they are going to kick them back to same-day hourly rates if they don't have a supplier, which could be a pretty nerve racking thing." It more involved than simply printing a contract and signing on the dotted line, she added.
"We're trying to educate that group of customers who aren't typically your huge users but they are spending a large portion of their budget on power each month so it's really on a learning curve right now for many of them now that they are going to be released from ComEd," said Cashmore.
Part of Nordic's strategy will be to speak in layman's terms and not in industry-speak, she added. It needs to be kept simple for firms that do not have an energy manager or an outside consultant.
"What it comes down to is that right now cost containment is probably one of the biggest drivers and being able to fit energy into ever-tightening budgets is also important. So we can help mitigate the risk by offering products that perhaps they don't need to go out to the market, which can be a scary proposition for some," said Cashmore. "If they get on the same-day hourly who know what can happen. There are a lot of companies out there struggling to do the best they can."
Cashmore was introduced to Nordic by Scott Brownholtz of executive search firm Brownholtz & Associates.
Nordic Energy joined in on the holiday festivites with Food Industry News, a Chicago-based trade publication that focuses on local, regional and national industry news and which also serves as a link between buyers and suppliers. Click here to see the photo gallery, including our own Bridget Murphy.
Left to right: Cary Miller (red jacket), VP of Food Industry News; unknown (black suit); Bridget Murphy (red coat), Nordic Energy; Jaime Melendez (black coat), owner of RIMCO Foods and former Trade Commission Officer of Chile in Chicago
